Ropes Challenge course debuts at SportsWorks

Look out for some fun surprises within the 11 challenges.

That’s what a staff member at the Carnegie Science Center told me as I entered the new Ropes Challenge at Highmark SportsWorks earlier this week.

Testing my fear of heights, I embarked on a 15-minute gravity-defying mission that included sailing over the heads of adults and children on a zip line, inching my way across a swaying tight rope, and, my favorite, walking the plank and being greeted by a surprise jolt at the end that felt as if I was about to fall into the abyss.

The Ropes Challenge course has entertained more than 1,500 visitors — adults and children — since it opened Monday following a week of construction.

“Opening day was wild,” said Matt Needles, director of education.

“The whole goal of SportsWorks is to provide fullbody immersion experiences, so we were looking for the next big thing for that,” he said. “The Rope Challenge allows you to explore physics and how the body balances itself.”

The idea for the course came from Dennis Bateman, senior director of exhibits and experience, who was inspired by a ropes course he saw at a conference. Four years later, the Ropes Challenge course joins one at the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa, Fla., as the only two museum rope courses on the East Coast.

“Participants build confidence as they overcome these obstacles that challenge them,” Mr. Needles said.

The 20-foot-tall course contains 11 obstacles that vary in level of difficulty. “The goal was to have a wonderful variety of things with varying difficulties that would create challenges for people with different fears and skill sets,” he said.

The ropes course was also constructed in a way that would allow people to get around others who are taking a longer time by having four-way intersections and different obstacle bridges connecting to the same place.

Participants must be at least 48 inches tall.

“You can be a really brave 4-year-old and go on the Ropes Challenge course,” Mr. Needles laughed. Besides a myriad obstacles, the Ropes Challenge contains a smaller course below it for younger children called SkyTykes. It has slides and equipmentto explore.

At any given time, four or five staff members are on the attraction to help guide participants along the different obstacles and explain directions as well as to make sure lines are moving. The staff underwent rigorous two-day training held by Michigan-based Ropes Courses Inc., the company that built the obstacle course. During that time, they learned how to solve safety situations, such as what to do when someone is stuck.

The Ropes Challenge can accommodate 20 people at one time, while the SkyTykes can hold 10. So far, the maximum wait in line has been about an hour, and there is no time limit on the equipment. “We often tell people who come early to the Science Center to pop on over to SportsWorks first because that’s going to give you a chance to have the best wait time,” said Jill Rible, marketing communications director.

Admission for the course is included in the Science Center’s general admission: $19.95 for adults and $11.95 for children, ages 3 to 12. Closed-toed shoes are required and must have a strap in the back. SportsWorks does provide watershoes, but it is strongly encouraged to provide your own.

For those who crave an added sense of adventure, the Science Center will be including admission to the Ropes Challenge during its annual 31-Hour Omnimax Movie Marathon that runs from 10 a.m. July 8 until 5 p.m. July 9.

“It’s going to be a really cool event, especially if you want to do the ropes at 3 a.m.,” Mr. Needles said.